Toll collecting mechanism for telephone exchange systems



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. L. ROSE & G. REIN.

TOLL COLLECTING MECHANISM FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS; No. 346,866.P'a/uented Aug. 3, 1886.

N. PETERS, Phuw-ulhagrnphar. Wammhlan, 0,1;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. L. ROSE & G. REIN.

TOLL GOLLEGTING MEGHANISM EOE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS.

No. 346,866. Patented Aug. 3, 1886.

N. PETERS. F'halwLilMgrapher, Washington. a. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEG PHILIP L. ROSE AND GUSTAVUS REIN, OF ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' TOLLCOLI.ECTING MECHANISM FOR TELEPHONBEXCHANGE SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,866, dated August3, 1886.

Application filed June 9, 1886. Serial No. 204,605. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILIP L. ROSE and GUSTAVUS REIN, both of St.Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Toll Collecting or Indicating Mechanism for TelephoneExchange Systems, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a mechanism or apparatus whereby the centraloffice of a telephone-exchange system cannot be rung up or secured untila coin of some particular and arbitrarily-determined -on denomination ora corresponding check or ticket has been deposited in said apparatus ortoll-box. The coin or check or other toll-token when deposited in thebox operates on a portion of the apparatus essential to completing thecircuit through which the central office is signaled or rung up by thedepositor, and for this purpose it is usually dropped into a chute orpassageway, in which it comes in contact with and operates a devicecontrolling said portion of the apparatus.

In our application for Letters Patent filed December 3, 1885, bearingSerial No. 184, 628, on which Letters Patent No. 346,865, of even dateherewith, issued to us,we have shown and described a toll-collectingapparatus of this character, in which the chute or passage-way for thetoll-token is combined with a movable stop which arrests the toll-tokenuntil moved to one side or the other far enough to permit the onwardpassage of the same, the movement of the said stop in the directionrequisite to direct the coin into the cash-receptacle of the toll-boxbeing accomplished by and during the return of the handphone or itssupport to the position which it occupies when not in use. In this, aswell as in any other automatic telephone toll system where the coin ortolltoken is used for the purpose above indicated, it is possible forthe user or depositor, if he be so inclined, to withdraw the toll-tokenafter it has accomplished its purpose, and to thus use the same token orcoin over and over again, this being effected by tying to the coin ortoken a silk or other fine thread, by means of which the coin can bedropped far enough to operate the toll-switch or circuit making orbreaking device, and can then be pulled out again after it has beenused.

It is the object of our improvement to prevent the possibility of thisoccurrence, to which end our invention consists in the combination, withthe movable stop and the toll-switch or circuit making or breakingdevice to be operated by the coin or token, of a chute or passage-wayfor said coin, and a trap or gate located in the chute at a pointbetween the inletopening thereof and the toll-switch or circuit makingor breaking device arranged and operating to permit the onward passageof the toll-token, but to prevent the same from being withdrawn afterreaching the toll-switch.

The nature of our improvement and the manner in which the same is or maybe car ried into effect will be readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a view of so much of theapparatus and circuit-connections as needed to illustrate ourimprovement, the chute and contiguous parts being shown on enlargedscale. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, some of the parts beingshown in section.

The apparatus in connection with which our our improvement isrepresented is one simi lar to that shown and described in our aforesaidapplication for Letters Patent filed December 3, 1885, Serial N 0.184,628, and in Fig. 1 is a view from the rear of the door of thegenerator and bell box, to which we prefer ably apply said apparatus.

In the drawings, X is the door or other sup port for holding theapparatus. Near its top is an inlet-opening, P, for the insertion of thecoin or other toll-token. Upon the inside of the door is the chute orpassage-way A, which extends from said opening to the movable stop D,which, in this instance, is the armature of the bell or switchelectro-magnet O. The stop by spring a is normally held in a position inwhich it will intercept the coin or other token y, being cut away sothat its top forms a knifeedge, on which the coin rests, as indicated inFig. 1. According as the armature moves to one side or the other of thisposition the coin will drop therefrom into one or the other of thebranch chutes N O, in the former case returning to the depositor, in thelatter case passing down into the companys cash box or receiver. Thearmature is moved in the direction to discharge the coin into N by theattractive power of its magnet O, and; in the opposite direction bymechanical appliances connected to and actuated by the handphonesupport, all as described in our aforesaid application for LettersPatent.

The toll-switch in the present instance consists of a pivotedelbow-lever, E, the short upper arm of which has a contact point orelectrode, 0, which normally is immersed in the mercury-cup F, whichconstitutes the other electrode, circuit-connections b and b leadingfrom said electrodes, whereby, when the latter are in contact, a shortcircuit is established around the magneto-generator of the telephonecall. \Vhen the electrode 0 is in this position, the longer arm ortail of the switch-lever E extends into the interior of the chuteAthrough a slot or opening formed for this purpose in the side of thelatter, so as to normally stand in the path of the coin or token y.Conse quently when the latter is dropped into the box in its descentthrough the chute, and by the time it brings up'against the movable stopD, it will have pushed aside the tail of the lever, and thus lifted theelectrode 0 from the mercury-cup with the effect of breaking or openingthe short circuit 1) 1) around the generator.

It is manifest that if the coin or token 3/ should have a stringattached to it it might 5 be dropped down into the chute far enough todo the work required of it, and might then be pulled back and out again.To prevent this is the object of our improvement; and to this end weplace in the chute at some point between the inlet-opening and theswitch-1ever a trap or gate which, while permitting the ingress of thecoin, will effectually prevent it from being withdrawn after it oncepasses said trap. Manifestly this trap or gate can be variouslyarranged, and it may be a gravity-trap or spring or weight actuated. Inthe present instance it consists of a flap, m, pivoted at n in the rearwall of the chute, extending thence in a slanting direction forward anddownward, so that its free-edge will rest against the inner 5o face ofthe opposite wall of the chute, being retained normallyin that positionby'aweight,

0, on the pivot pin or shaft n, which overbal ances the weight of theflap to such an extent as to hold the same normally in position to closethe chute, but not with suflicient force to ofier any materialresistance to the free downward passage of the deposited coin or token.Under this arrangement it will be seen that the entrance of the toll toa position inwhich it can operate the switch-lcvcris permitted, but thatthe toll after reaching that position cannot be withdrawn.

We do not restrict ourselves to any particular point of location of thetrap, provided, of 6 course, that it is between the inlet-opening andthe toll switch or lever or other device for operating the same; and, asbefore said, said trap can be spring-actuated or gravity or weightactuated, as preferred.

What we claim, therefore, herein as new and of our invention is Inautomatic toll collecting or indicating mechanism for telephone-exchangesystems, the combination, with the chute or passage- 75 way into whichthe coin or toll token is dropped, the movable stop, and the toll-switchor circuitchanging lever or device, of a selfclosing trap or gatelocated in the chute at'a point between the inlet-opening and the said8:) switch or circuit changing lever, and arranged and adapted tooperate substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbeforeset forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set 8 our names this 27th day ofMay, 1886.

1 mm]? L. nose. GUSTAVUS REIN.

Witnesses:

' WELLINGTON ADAMS,

T. S. MoPHEE'rERs.

